“Jesus did not claim to be one dish on the buffet line of spirituality from which we can pick and choose the elements that best suit our taste.”

David Platt’s booklet “What Did Jesus Really Mean When He Said Follow Me?” explains what it means to follow Jesus — to die to ourselves and the things of the world, and to live by experiencing joy following our Savior.

Platt not only discusses how the disciples followed Jesus during both His life and after his ascension, but he also shows how we too can follow Jesus in our modern day lives. Using biblical references and examples, he is very honest about how we must first deal with the sin in our lives.

“What Did Jesus Really Mean …” might be a short booklet, but it is jam-packed with tons of wisdom and hard-hitting questions for the Christ follower. It also offers a great explanation on how to even become a Christ follower (“When you come to Jesus, he puts the source of his life in the center of your life”). Platt also delves into what the cost is to become a follower of Christ — even to the point of death for the disciples, as well as for some today.

Following the invitation and cost, Platt discusses the great change that comes from following Jesus. Everything changes — our minds, desires, thoughts and wills. Ultimately, as more and more follow Jesus, the church and the world will change.

This booklet will get you thinking about where you stand spiritually. As Platt asks at the end of his introduction, “Have you answered the call?”

“And isn’t this how Christmas should be celebrated? Being with the ones you love … and loving your friends and neighbors as God loves them?”

TJ Finkelstein realizes Christmas is six days away and she has nothing to give her dad. Of course her younger sister, Violet, is getting their dad a super gigantic TV, so TJ must find a way to get some money so she can give their dad an even bigger and better present.

Everything this Christmas season is a competition. Can TJ beat Violet and get a bigger present for their dad? Who will have the best decorated locker at school? How can TV sensation Hesper Breakahart make serving a meal to the homeless with Chad Steel bigger and better … for herself?

This book focuses primarily on TJ – the other characters don’t play as large a role as they did in the earlier books, including goofy 23rd-century time travelers Herby and Tuna.

To raise Christmas funds, TJ gets a job as Santa’s helper at Bags Fifth Avenue, which quickly turns into the job as Santa himself. On top of that, she gets dragged into taking care of Lady Goo Goo’s three children – a germaphobe, a “Viking” who wants world domination, and a water freak. TJ doesn’t care she’s so swamped, though, because she thinks she’ll be able to pull in lots of Christmas cash … until disaster strikes yet again.

With a little help from Herby and Tuna, TJ learns she’s placing too much emphasis on the material side of Christmas and that she needs to ignore what others say and do and just experience the true nature of Christmas.

“Ho-Ho-Nooo!” was another goofy tale with a powerful message for kids of all ages in the “TJ and the Time Stumblers” series.

“I think your mother just kept reminding herself that each of us is God’s creation. And no matter how mean people may be, we all need to be loved.”

The crazy antics of seventh-grader TJ Finkelstein and her 23rd-century time travelers, Herby and Tuna, continue in this third installment.

The book opens with a giant elephant, which just happens to speak with a British accent, chasing TJ and her invisible “friends” through the school. As always, major mayhem breaks loose and TJ, once again, is looked at as the weird New Kid.

As the crazy menagerie races into the auditorium, TV sensation and fellow student, Hesper Breakahart, is holding auditions for a role on her show, which will eventually affect TJ in a big way.

TJ still has a major crush on Hesper’s “boyfriend,” Chad Steel, who just happens to think TJ is strange, but cute. Chad defends TJ to bulking ninth-grader Trent Tauntalot, which leads to problems too.

Once again, TJ must learn a lesson – this time that we shouldn’t bad mouth people, but see the good in them and speak and think well of them. God loves us all. This is a terribly hard lesson for her to learn as most of the school seems to hate her. But her father reminds her that her deceased mom really tried to see the best in people.

I didn’t like this book as well as the first two in the TJ & the Time Stumblers series by Bill Myers, but it was still a really good read.

In this second installment, we pick up the story of TJ Finkelstein and her goofy time travelers from the 23rd century, Herby and Tuna, with a pirate fight in her bedroom. Herby and Tuna think they can help TJ write her book report on “Treasure Island” with, well, an actual pirate fight from the novel!

This, however, sets TJ on a whole journey about cheating, and how the act of cheating can totally change the path one’s life takes – sometimes with drastic and devastating results.

In the meantime, TJ still has a crush on neighbor Chad Steele. Class geek Doug Claudlooper has designed a surfboard with little jet engines to raise it out of the water and therefore, allegedly, perform much better than a traditional surfboard and has asked surfer Chad to try it out. The only problem? To use it in a competition would be cheating.

So Chad, like TJ, faces a dilemma on whether to or not to cheat, with repercussions that could literally save or cost a life.

In the meantime, Elizabeth, the best-friends-since-forever friend to Hesper Breakahart, who just happens to be Chad’s “girlfriend,” offers to spy on TJ for Hesper. She is bound and determined to discover how and why so many weird things happen around TJ.

Even though the book is full of silliness, it teaches a strong lesson about cheating – the dilemma between taking the easy way out, or the hard, but truthful, way.

“AAAARGH” (TJ & the Time Stumblers #2) by Bill Myers is a fun read for all kids from middle school age to 100!

“Tuna cleared his throat and quoted: “ ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ But if you favor some people over others, you are committing a sin.” ”

While Thelma Jean “TJ” Finkelstein is moving into her new home, she makes a big splash – literally – into her new neighbor’s life. She meets the gorgeous Chad Steel after riding, yes riding, her piano into his pool.

On TJ’s first day at her new school, one catastrophe after another follows her. She has an unfortunate involvement with school sweetheart and TV sensation Hesper Breakahart breaking her nose. Of course, after that, the whole school hates her, except for “geeks” Naomi Simpletwirp and Doug Claudlooper … and maybe Chad!

TJ meets two strangers, Herby and Tuna, who have come to visit (and “help”) her from the 23rd century. They tell TJ they are doing a history report on her since one day she will grow up to be a great leader.

These two crazy characters, with their own vocabulary like “torked,” “zworked” and “smoot,” help TJ learn that we must look beyond the outside of people, and look at what is on the inside … and a great person doesn’t show favoritism.

“New Kid Catastrophes” (TJ & the Time Stumblers, #1) by Bill Myers is a silly, goofy, tongue-in-cheek kind of read, but it teaches a great lesson that kids of all ages need to hear.

Twelve-year-old Winnie Willis is tired of moving around. Ever since her mom died in a car accident — an accident for which Winnie blames herself — the family has done nothing but move, move, move. This time she hopes, along with her younger sister Lizzy, they’ll stay awhile in Ashland, Ohio, where Winnie has found a job at the local stable where she can be near her favorite animal — horses.

The owners of the stable have taken in a white Arabian they’ve named “Wild Thing,” as it’s full of fear and out of control. Winnie quickly falls in love with the Arabian, and slowly uses her horse gentler skills to calm the horse down and earn its trust. She wants nothing more than to have the horse for herself.

In Dandi Daley Mackall’s first installment of the “Winnie” series series, “Wild Thing” shows us many important lessons. It reminds us about unfailing love — whether from people or God; faithfulness; and dealing with blame, trust and forgiveness. Winnie must learn to believe in God’s forgiveness and turn to Him for help.

“Wild Thing” is full of fun characters beyond Winnie — Calvin “Catman” Coolidge is like the Pied Piper for cats; little sister Lizzy has a thing for lizards; Eddy Barker has a knack for rehabilitating dogs; and Pat Haven owns a small pet shop and runs a pet help line.

Allison Pittman’s third installment in her series that takes place during the Roaring Twenties definitely takes a different tone than the first two books. While the first two focuses on one strong female character each, “All for a Sister” actually focuses on the stories of two women — Dana Lundgren and Celeste DuFrane.

Dana has spent the past 20 years falsely imprisoned for a crime; Celeste grew up in a wealthy family with a father who was involved in the colorization process of movies. She grows up wanting to be on the big screen herself, eventually reaching her goal.

As “All for a Sister” unwinds, the two girls stories quickly become intertwined — even more connected than the two could ever imagine.

Pittman definitely takes a darker turn with her third installment. At times, even though it takes place between the turn of the century and the 1920s, it reminded me of a gothic novel. It’s filled with shocking secrets, and mystery, drama, a lack of fairness, class and race struggle with a hierarchal society, infidelity, strengths and weaknesses, and so much more.

“All for a Sister” teaches us there is often much more than the surface reveals. It also shows us to rely on God, no matter how desperate our situation may be, and that “the truth shall set you free.”

Although Pittman’s books are fiction, she always features real-life people sprinkled throughout. This book features brief cameos by real-life evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson and her right-hand man Roland Lundi, who works as Celeste’s agent. Both were featured in Pittman’s first two books. It also introduces us to real-life actors Mary Pickford and the up-and-coming Rudy Valentino, to name a few.

Even though I felt this book was quite different from the first two in the series, I really enjoyed the format of this book — having two main characters and how the book tells their stories and brings them together.

“Love knows nothing but moment to moment. Be honest and true in each one, and expect nothing more.”

It’s Washington, D.C., during the Prohibition and young Monica Bisbaine likes to live fast and loose while writing her “Monkey Business” column for the Capitol Chatter. She enjoys reporting on the local speakeasies, offering readers clues to the illegal establishments as well as her latest fashion choices.

But all that changes when her editor passes away and his nephew, Maximilian Moore, takes over the publication. Max has a heart for God and a heart for publishing all that is pure and of good report, so decides to make some major changes to the tabloid, including “Monkey Business.”

Allison Pittman’s “All for a Story” is a fun read full of great characters. Monica must decide if she wants to continue living her fast-passed, flirty life, or seek a life filled with more substantial meaning — including love from both man and God.

Max, who left his editor position with real-life evangelist Aimee Semple McPherson (whom we met in Pittman’s first installment in this series), to take over the Chatter, must decide if Monica — and love itself — is worth fighting for.

Readers will love Monica, full of moxie and charisma; Max, with his patience and perseverance; sweet, yet wise, Zelda Ovenoff, the cleaning woman at the paper with so much more potential; and Paolo, the six-toed cat. This book also introduces the reader to another real-life character — Miss Alice Reighly, the leader of the Anti-Flirt Society.

“All for a Story” offers great lessons on patience and kindness, finding true love, and allowing God’s love to replace what we have lost in our own lives.

“Whatever happens, we’ll be okay because God will be there. No matter what goes away, God won’t. … God will be there with me – if I’m in my bed, in a fiery furnace, or in an empty backyard.”

“Night Mare” opens with Ellie winding down her fourth-grade year with a blog project. She and her friend Cassie create a blog on horse recipes. Fans of this author will enjoy some cross-referencing with her other character, Winnie the Horse Gentler, who offers Ellie and Cassie some horse-friendly recipes to add to their blog.

Just to get a laugh, resident mean girl Larissa, who is partnering with Ellie’s best friend Colt, posts a photo of Ellie’s horse, Dream, when she was just a scrawny, lost Pinto. Unfortunately, someone sees that photo and claims Dream is their horse, which is Ellie’s worst nightmare!

Ellie is forced to give up her horse to Grayson, who claims Dream … or Jinx as he calls her … escaped from their farm.

Throughout the book, Ellie must learn to turn to God, and to remember He is with her in all situations. There is even an interesting tie in to the Old Testament story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego … and three polluted fish!

“God answers prayers because God is God. And Jesus already took care of my mess-ups.”

The story of Ellie James and her black-and-white pinto, Dreams, continues in “Chasing Dream.”

Ellie is once again daydreaming in school. This team she and Dream are in a Pony Express race. She’s pulled out of her daydream, though, when Dream is found in the school library!

Her daydream leads Ellie to wish Dream was the fastest horse around, so she plans a horse race for her fellow fourth-graders. But in the meantime, she must solve the mystery of how Dream keeps escaping from her pen. Ellie can’t figure out how Dream is getting out, and her friend Colt can’t figure out what is eating his horse’s grain, which keeps disappearing.

After the race, Dream begins to act strangely, and so they have to call in the vet.

Throughout the book, Ellie learns lessons about selfishness, putting other’s needs first, the support of family and friends, and trusting in God.

This is a great series for kids of all ages, both young and the young at heart.